


It's A Long Way Down

by Diglossia



Category: Panik
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-24
Updated: 2010-01-24
Packaged: 2017-10-06 15:41:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diglossia/pseuds/Diglossia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A field trip forces Timo to face one of his greatest fears. A friendship fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's A Long Way Down

The field trip to the marine science museum had been fun. Timo and David and the rest of their classmates had loved petting the stingrays and skates, and staring at the gigantic sharks in the ceiling to floor tank. They had touched the starfish and watched the playful seals swimming outside in the big tank. They had listened to the guide talk about ocean currents and fiddler crabs and seagulls. It had been awesome.

That is, it had been awesome until they went up to the wild bird observatory that overlooked the estuary next to which the marine science museum was built. It was a high glass-encased look out post with enough space for thirty people to stand comfortably and everyone but Timo absolutely loved it. He hadn't wanted to go up and their teacher had told him he could stay down at the hurricane exhibit near the bottom of the stairs because she knew he wasn't comfortable with going that high up. Timo had played with the wind machine, changing the settings to create gale force winds and blow the water and sand around, for a few minutes while he waited for his class to return.

Then Petra's older sister, one of the chaperones who had come with the class, came down the steps, grumbling about how she had to take care of the "big baby". That had started an argument between them and Petra's sister had told him she was going to leave him and tell the teacher he had wandered off, which was against the rules and would get Timo in trouble, because he was such a cry baby and nobody would know the difference anyway, unless of course, Timo would prove himself and go up to the observatory.

He was there now, trying to remember how to breathe.

Timo looked out the gigantic person-size windows, trying to look straight across like his mother told him. That way he wouldn't see anything but the tops of the buildings and not the ground far below. He peered out for a moment, seeing fluffy white clouds. This was not so bad. He could do this, he really could.

Someone hit him in the shoulder as they moved past. Timo stumbled back and lost his focus. His eyes filled with the sight of long buildings and high windows, and then went down, horribly down. He saw ant-size cars and tiny trees, and his heart stopped.

Timo shuddered and fell to his knees, his hands balling into fists that he pressed against the floor. His thoughts fled as the crippling fear overtook him. One move in any direction and he would touch those glass windows. They would break under his weight and he would plummet the hundreds of feet down, down, down until he hit the rough, unyielding cement. There were no options left: he was going to die.

"Timo? Timo, where are you?"

Timo did not answer. He was lost in his own world as he lay crumpled on the floor. Calloused, wonderfully familiar fingers touched his arm. Timo looked up and met David's worried eyes. David smiled the tiniest bit and put his arm around Timo's waist.

"You're okay, Timo," David said, placing his head on Timo's shoulder. "You're not going to fall. I've got you."

A tall figure loomed over the two boys. It was Petra's sister, her hands on her knees and her face screwed up in a fake pout.

"Look at the big baby lying on the floor like a baby. Wah, wah, does the baby need a pacifier? Are his wittle feelings hurt?" she sneered, hitting Timo upside his head.

David glared at the girl who had forced Timo to come up to the observatory, his blue eyes flashing.

"What is wrong with you?!" he snapped, pulling Timo into a tight hug, the frightened boy dry sobbing into his shoulder. "He's fucking scared of heights and you brought him up here?! Don't touch him! Get away from us! Don't you ever touch him!"

Petra's sister looked startled for a minute but then her eyes narrowed.

"What- _ever_. You two are such babies," she said and walked away, leaving them alone.

"Timo?" David said softly, stroking Timo's cheek. "Timo, it's okay. I'm here. You're not going to fall. I'm right here."

David held Timo for what seemed likes hours there on the observatory floor as Timo shook and shuddered. David rubbed Timo's back soothingly as they sat in silence. After the longest time, Timo began to talk.

"Davii, I was so scared. I can't go near the windows. Please don't make me look out the window," Timo said, his eyes enormous with fear.

"No one's going to make you do anything you don't want," David said, hugging Timo tighter. "But you gotta get up. We can't stay here in the middle of the floor."

"Davii, I'm too scared. I don't want to get up. When I stand up, I can't breathe."

David pulled Timo in tight, his steady breath on Timo's neck calming his best friend.

"I'm right here, Timo. I promise, nothing bad is going to happen to you when I'm here."

"You mean it?" Timo whispered back, some of the fear in his eyes seeping away as he looked at David.

David smiled.

"Forever and always."

They stood up.


End file.
